Mumbai: In a landmark ruling, a consumer court in Bengaluru has directed PVR INOX to pay Rs 1 lakh in punitive damages to a Bengaluru-based man who filed a complaint regarding excessive advertisements played before movie screenings. The court also instructed the theatre chain to display the actual movie start time on tickets, rather than the time when advertisements begin.
The complainant, along with two family members, attended a 4:05 pm show of Sam Bahadur in December 2023, but the film didn’t begin until 4:30 pm, after several advertisements were shown. The complainant argued that this delay caused unnecessary inconvenience and disrupted their schedule, especially since they had to return to work afterward.
The court noted that such delays amounted to unfair trade practices. “In the new era, time is considered as money, each one’s time is very precious, no one has the right to gain benefit out of others’ time and money,” the court observed. The ruling emphasized that wasting significant time—25 to 30 minutes—due to ads is a serious issue for busy individuals with tight schedules, making it difficult for them to plan accordingly.
As part of the verdict, PVR INOX has been ordered to pay the complainant Rs 20,000 for the inconvenience and mental distress caused, in addition to Rs 8,000 for the cost incurred in filing the complaint. The theatre chain was also instructed to adjust its practices to ensure transparency in show timings.
